[OSList] Drucker conference in Vienna: "Managing Complexity"

Sat Nov 15 06:19:14 PST 2014

Daniel and all,
Be it suits or skirts (too much of one, not enough of the other), I am
content that the diverse voices were in the room having healthy and
substantive debates. Not the choir preaching to the choir. Many different
perspectives and in-depth discussions on the big issues. Two economies, the
old and the new. Workplaces of the future and outdated command/control
hierarchies holding people in the past. Participants talking about serious
systemic problems, diminishing returns from a misplaced focus on
shareholder value as the single overarching measure, global economy,
untapped capacity of people with 13% Gallup reported engagement, and in
contrast, the glaring results (validated on all key measures) of self-managed
companies who are treating people like equals, engaging everyone in
decision making. So many success stories, so many quotable tweets.

Discordant views and agreeing views – it was all there.

This Vienna Drucker Forum had all the pre-conditions for Open Space and for
Invitation with no mandates.
1. Real business issues, not about doing a process, real and needed job 2.
A great deal of complexity 3. Lots of diversity in terms of people and
points of view 4. Real passion (people care) and conflict 5. Decision time
of yesterday...

I grant that it was all happening in the traditional conference format,
podiums with talking heads and limited discourse from participants though
more interaction it seems than in the past. And yet over those two days, I
felt the shifts...the shifts that tell us that all of life is open space.

I know that what we’re seeing here and in so many other places right now is
more than a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm hearing jack hammers
blasting holes in the walls...of bureaucracy. And I’m excited to “build on
this momentum” to invite people on a journey of Open Space from “their/our”
issues and perspecctives.

When I heard people repeatedly say things like: "we need to get everyone in
the same room to understand it together and to execute it together ("it" is
the future and diversity is what they are referring to), I felt so hopeful
and excited.

Gary Hamel, Steve Denning, Bill Fischer, Dov Siedman, Nilofer Merchant and
so many others speaking a vision of the future, sharing stories that
are happening
already. It has all the elements of a coming together and opening space.

I can’t begrudge their format. I would never have known about Open Space
had I not experienced it. And even after knowing it, I ran into that
annoying problem of inviting with no agenda and no presenters. It seems now
we have amazing context from which to invite. What a privilege it is and
will be to do this work and to know a future ahead with so many more people
on the journey. Lots of hurdles ahead, not the least of which throwing away
the shackles of command-control, of safety, of predictability, etc.  I know
as I was as handcuffed as most and letting go, doing less is more is still
such a huge challenge.

This article on Haiers in China may be of interest:
http://www.strategy-business.com/article/00296?pg=all

Warmest regards,
Suzanne

On Fri, Nov 14, 2014 at 4:53 PM, Harrison Owen via OSList <
oslist at lists.openspacetech.org> wrote:

> Michael -- I think I lost the suit. Or at least the last time I remember it
> was for my daughter's wedding. Gone-Zo! And Dan... your comments are
> devastating I think. But the good news is that folks are talking. Next step
> will be their recognition of the cognitive dissonance between their words
> (and the way they offer them) and the reality they seek to address. But one
> step at a time is probably all you can expect.
>
> ho
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: OSList [mailto:oslist-bounces at lists.openspacetech.org] On Behalf Of
> Michael M Pannwitz via OSList
> Sent: Friday, November 14, 2014 12:49 PM
> To: Daniel Mezick; World wide Open Space Technology email list
> Subject: Re: [OSList] Drucker conference in Vienna: "Managing Complexity"
>
> Dear Daniel,
> before I sit down to write an E-Mail I put on my suit.
> So whats this slant on suits.
> I recall seeing Harrison with suit and tie in one of the first os events he
> facilitated. After that it went all downhill with hat etc.
>
> Have a great day wherever you are
> mmp
>
> On 14.11.2014 17:12, Daniel Mezick via OSList wrote:
> > I'm not watching the Vienna event as closely as Suzanne, and some of
> > the others.
> >
> > I do notice some things about it.
> >
> > I'm glad that "people in suits" like Gary Hamel (et al) are now
> > noticing what is happening, and writing and talking about it. As for
> > "doing", it looks like the main activity is... arranging conference
> events.
> >
> > I'm sad and afraid about the format. It's the standard us-them
> > conference format. The experts dispense wisdom from the stage, the
> > rest receive this revealed wisdom.
> >
> >
> > The structure of the program is a big tip-off to what is happening
> there...
> >
> > http://www.druckerforum.org/2013/the-event/program/
> >
> >
> >
> > By attending this, the attendee authorizes the elevation of the people
> > on the stage to the status of authority figures.
> >
> > The title of the event might also tip us off: "Managing Complexity"
> >
> > To manage is to direct and control. The title therefore expands to:
> >
> > "Directing and Controlling Complexity".
> >
> > That's a very interesting title for a conference that is presumably
> > about emergence in business organizations.
> >
> >
> > Daniel
> >
> > --
> >
> > Daniel Mezick, President
> >
> > New Technology Solutions Inc.
> >
> > (203) 915 7248 (cell)
> >
> > Bio <http://newtechusa.net/dan-mezick/>. Blog
> > <http://newtechusa.net/blog/>. Twitter
> <http://twitter.com/#%21/danmezick/>.
> >
> > Examine my new book:The Culture Game
> > <http://newtechusa.net/about/the-culture-game-book/>: Tools for the
> > Agile Manager.
> >
> > Explore Agile Team Training
> > <http://newtechusa.net/services/agile-scrum-training/> and Coaching.
> > <http://newtechusa.net/services/agile-scrum-coaching/>
> >
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> >
> >
> >
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>
> --
> Michael M Pannwitz
> Draisweg 1, 12209 Berlin, Germany
> ++49 - 30-772 8000
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>
>
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-- 
Suzanne Daigle
Open Space Facilitator
NuFocus Strategic Group

FL 941-359-8877941-359-8877
Cell: 203-722-2009203-722-2009
www.nufocusgroup.com
s.daigle at nufocusgroup.com
twitter @Daiglesuz
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